Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

240 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 1
Banana represents 6% of the total area under fruits and contributes 7% of total fruit
production (Figure 2a, Figure 2b). Bananas from Southern Oman are popular and known
outside Oman for their taste and quality especially in neighbouring gulf countries.
Southern Oman enjoys a unique climate and receives rains during the Khariff season
(June-September). Extensive plantations of bananas are found near Salalah, a major
town in Southern Oman. In the Northern region, bananas are cultivated along the
Batinah coast (Musannah, Suwaiqah, Saham and Sohar). In other regions i.e. eastern
(Sharqiyah), central (Woosta) and interior (Dakhaliyah), banana cultivation is limited to
home gardens. Bananas are often intercropped with fruit trees such as date palm, mango
and lime, which protect bananas from sun scorching during summer, and also permit to
utilise the available land. In old farms, bananas are found along Al falaj, a sub-
Table 2. Area and production of fruits in Oman, 1997.
Crop Area (ha) Production (1000 tons)
1- Dates 35,525.21 433.16
2- Lime 2,714.28 16.66
3- Banana 2,462.18 35.46
4- Mango 1,445.37 13.32
5- Coconut 399.15 9.52
6- Papaya 63.05 3.57
7- Others 193.27 15.94
Total 42,802.51 527.63
6%
84%
Fig. 2a
6% 3% 1%
81%
Dates Lime Banana
Mango Coconut Papaya
Figure 2a. Area under fruits in Oman. 1997.
Figure 2b. Fruit production in Oman. 1997.
7%
3%
Fig. 2b
2%
1%
3% 3%
Others